…to name a few. This does lead to curving roads rather than the straight lines of many modern cities, but also allows the city to easily segment into local communities of various types.

Jerusalem is approximately 2,500 feet (or 760 meters) in elevation, making it a 1/2 mile high city. During the spring, fall and early summer it tends to have cool evening temperatures and low humidity. It’s usually 5-10 degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler than Tel Aviv and the Israeli coastal plain during the day, and can can be as much as 15 degrees cooler at night. (Exceptions are late summer and heat waves containing hot desert winds blowing across the whole country.)

Israel as a whole is a nation of seasonal rains, winter only. This means it literally never rains except in winter (almost never). Average winter temperatures range from the low 60’s to 30 or so. The coastal plane usually stays in the 60’s – 50’s, and the mountain areas may run from the 50’s – 40’s.

WHEN the seasonal rains join up with a cold front, the temperatures may fall into the low 30’s and… snow. Jerusalem seems to get a touch or dusting of snow every 3-4 years, and a serious snow storm (serious means 5 inches of snow) every 10 years or so. Northern areas with higher mountains, such as Meron and Safed (Tzfat) will see light snow a few times every winter.

Israel’s only location with serious snowfall is Mt. Hermon, the most northern location in the country at the tip of the Golan Heights.

For those places where snow falls, it rarely lasts more than a day or two. This year’s snowfall being a “major” one, the snow has lasted 3 days and might make it to 4 or 5 on the top of roofs and under trees.

Temperatures are back up today and predicted to return to a normal winter range of 50’s – 60’s through the week. Given Israeli homes limited heating abilities… THANK G-D.

2 comments:

Great informational post. Only downside, when it gets 'that' cold outside the inside temps also drop. With 3 radiator type heaters on all day it was freezing on Shabbat ... Inside, even while it started to 'warm' up outside! I had to wear gloves and triple wool garments, sweater coat, boots and cashmere beret. Now that's cold!

The snow was so beautiful as it fell; I took pictures of the huge flakes, and all the white trees.

I can't wait for all those natural gas fields to come on line. Then we will be able to heat our homes with natural gas. I used to have a useful neft heater at 1.5 shekels per liter, but because of the cost of neft now, it is sitting idle for years. Thank G-d for natural gas. We have a Junkers for hot water, but I would really like to to sue for divorce from Chevrat Hashmal when it comes to heating anything.

I live in the hills. And we had a major snowstorm recently within the last three years, not including this year. I remember it being heavier than this one. Ofra had five inches on the ground by last Thursday. The kids liked that. I didn't see any mekubalim doing Gilul Sheleg though.

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